Bills cut Hardman, Wishnowsky in special-teams reset
The Bills are releasing veteran returner and wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr., and they are also moving on from punter Mitch Wishnowsky. A source confirmed both moves to ESPN, with Jeremy Fowler reporting Hardman's release and Tom Pelissero reporting Wishnowsky's.
The punting decision has a clear cause: rookie Tommy Doman Jr. won the job. Wishnowsky's exit leaves Doman as the punter. Hardman's release opens a question at returner. Buffalo had Hardman as a veteran return option and receiver; now that spot goes to someone younger, or to a competition.
Timing matters. These cuts come just before the 53-man roster deadline. The Bills are trimming veterans who either lost position battles or no longer had a clear role. That is how cutdown week works. The harder part is when the player still has name value. Hardman does. Wishnowsky does. Neither had a guaranteed job.
The read here is that Buffalo is comfortable with youth and inexperience at two specialist spots. A rookie punter is a bet on leg talent over track record. An open returner spot is a bet on the scheme and the blocking, not the name. For a team making moves at the final cutdown, that can look risky. It is also how rosters get younger without waiting for injuries to force it.
Hardman will draw interest elsewhere. Teams always need returners, and he has a track record. Wishnowsky should also find work. But the Bills decided the marginal upgrade in experience was not worth a roster spot.
My take: Buffalo is right to make this move. Special teams production is replaceable, and the Bills found a punter they liked more than the incumbent. The returner job is now a competition, and that is fine. Dead weight at the bottom of the roster loses games in December, not August. The Bills cut it early.